End of US highway 22

US 22 was an original 1926 route; at the time its east end was in Elizabeth:

c. 1929

US 1-9 came in from the north on Broad Street, and then turned west on Westfield Avenue. At Cherry Street, US 1-9 turned south again, but straight ahead on Westfield was the east beginning of US 22. This photo was taken looking east on Westfield:

Mason

The black car was at the historic east end of US 22. Straight ahead was northbound US 1-9, while southbound was to the right on Cherry. (That is still the east end of NJ hwy. 28, which is why there is signage posted there.)

Then in 1931, US 1-9 was moved to the current alignment, but US 22 was still on the old alignment (NJ 28). So then US 22 ended at what is now the intersection of US 1-9 / NJ 439, south of downtown Elizabeth. In other words, US 22 turned south on Elmora Street, ending at Bayway Circle...

Mortell, Aug. 2007

...although it is unclear whether there was a circle at that intersection at the time (the map above does not indicate one, but it was not at a scale that shows full-street detail).

​Meanwhile, the west end of US 22 was originally at US 40 in Cambridge:

This photo was looking east on Wheeling Avenue, or US 40-22; today eastbound US 22 splits off to the left on Highland Avenue, but originally that was the west beginning of US 22:

Mortell, Aug. 2007

(detail)

Here we are looking southwest on Highland (the sign assembly at far right is actually for traffic on westbound Wheeling):

Mortell, Aug. 2007

(detail)

​Today US 22 continues to the right on Wheeling with US 40, but originally US 22 ended there.

​In 1932, US 22 was extended west with US 40 to Zanesville OH, and on from there to Cincinnati. The highway designation ended at a couple different places in town until the 1970s, when the routing was changed to its current configuration. This photo was looking west on 9th Street between Race and Elm streets:

De Cesari/Moraseski, Nov. 2001 (still there as of 2014)

Reportedly the west end of US 22 is actually two blocks beyond Elm, at Central Avenue. Elm (the intersection past the "End" sign) carries northbound US 42. Plum Street (the next one) is southbound US 27-42-127 and eastbound US 52. Central Ave (the next street, and the terminus of US 22) is northbound US 27-127 and westbound US 52.

However, the west beginning of US 22 is a few blocks away, at the intersection of Central Av and 5th Street. This photo was taken coming off the US 50 freeway eastbound on OH 264 east, which is also straight ahead (5th St):

De Cesari/Moraseski, Nov. 2001

That US 52 sign is from before the realignment of US 52 eastbound (it was still there as of 2014, although quite faded). Central Av is the intersection ahead. US 27-42-127 south and US 52 east is to the right; left is US 27-127 north, US 52 west, and the beginning of US 22/OH 3. After taking that left on Central Av, this photo shows the first confirming marker on US 22 east/OH 3 north:

De Cesari/Moraseski, Nov. 2001

Moses, Oct. 2013

That scene has changed quite a bit since the first photo, due to construction of the Duke Energy Center there. Good that the error US 3 shield has been replaced, but that should be "East" US 22 (not "North"). A couple blocks further ahead, US 22/OH 3 turns right on 7th Street:

De Cesari/Moraseski, Nov. 2001 (still there as of Aug. 2015)

In 1936, the original segment of US 22 between Elizabeth and Somerville (today's NJ hwy. 28) was decommissioned, and the US 22 designation was applied instead to the current corridor, which bypasses downtown Elizabeth.

Since then, the east end has been in Newark, at its junction with US 1-9. There was no "End" sign for US 22, but this photo shows the fork in the road where one must merge onto US 1-9 (either the local or express route):

Nitzman, 2000

(detail)

(detail)

​Here we are looking south on US 1-9, approaching the exit for the east beginning of US 22:

Greenberger, Aug. 1998

​These signs are posted further ahead, where US 22 finally splits off:

Greenberger, Mar. 2001

Mason

(detail)

The construction going on there was for a now-completed viaduct for NJ 21. This photo shows the beginning of US 22 from the new NJ 21...

Mason, June 2002

...and this last shot shows signage for the east beginning of US 22 as seen from southbound I-95 (New Jersey Turnpike):